Mae Hong Son and Golden Triangle

In the morning we visit a village of the Padong Long Necks, one of the many different hill-tribes you will see on this tour. Next, the beautiful Tham Lot cave in Soppong and a visit to a Lisu and Lahu mountain village. We spend the night in the pleasant village of Pai. Pai sits in a valley on the banks of the Pai River. It’s known for its nearby gorges, hot springs and waterfalls, and the famous Pai Walking Street

You continue your tour through a mountainous and forested area along a winding and curvy road until you reach Bua Thong waterfall with its dramatic white limestone cliffs. Bua Thong waterfall is called Sticky waterfall by the local people. The water is from a calcium-rich spring that flows down over the boulders of the waterfall and makes the rocks almost creamy white.
The next stop is Wat Ban Den. One of the more imposing structures of the Wat Ban Den is a large Lanna style teak wood main building with a three-tiered roof. The roof is decorated with intricate wood carvings. A lot of traditional elements can be found in the overall structures here. Various animals and mythological creatures, mythical Naga serpents on the stairs and large lion figures called Singha in Thai, acting as guardians. Then we drive to a nice resort near the Chiang Dao caves where we spend the night.

We continue to Doi Mae Salong, an almost complete Chinese village in the mountains north of Chiang Rai. When the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai Shek had to flee. Most went to Taiwan but a small group fled to Thailand and these are the remnants. We visit the local market and we taste the famous Oolong tea. Next stop, Doi Tung to visit the Royal Project. The grandmother of the present king established a project for the hill tribe people who used to grow opium. They were stimulated to grow vegetables and flowers and you can see the beautiful Mae Fah Luang flower garden as a result. We will spend the night in the most northern province of Thailand.

We drive to the Burmese border at Mae Sai, at the Burmese border. There is a very interesting market over here with many products from Burma and China. You can cross the border to catch a glimpse of the Burmese life. Then to the infamous Golden Triangle on the Mekong river. From the viewpoint, you can see how Thailand, Laos, and Burma converge here. Via the old city of Chiang Saen with its ruins and a stop at hot springs, we return to Chiang Mai. We return back in Chiang Mai late in the afternoon. Here ends your tour, you have the option to take the night train or evening flight to Bangkok or stay longer in Chiang Mai or you can extend your holiday in a different way, all up to you.